Rhys ap Gruffydd

Rhys ap Gruffydd (1132-28 April 1197) was Prince of Deheubarth from 1155 to 1197, succeeding Maredudd ap Gruffydd and preceding Gruffydd ap Rhys II.

Biography
Rhys ap Gruffydd was the son of Gruffyd ap Rhys and Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd, and he was born in 1132. In 1155, Rhys succeeded his older brother Maredudd ap Gruffydd as Prince of Deheubarth, and he was forced to submit to King Henry II of England in 1158. Henry invaded Deheubarth in 1163, stripped all of Rhys' lands, and took him prisoner, but he was later released and given a small part of his holdings. He proceeded to ally with Owain Gwynedd against England, and, after a failed invasion of Wales by the English in 1165, the two Welsh rulers reconquered much of the territory that had been lost to the Norman lords. In 1171, Rhys made peace with Henry and was confirmed as ruler of his newly-acquired lands, and he was also made Justiciar of South Wales. Following Henry's death, Rhys went to war with Richard I of England and captured a number of Norman castles, launching his last campaign in 1196. The following year, he died unexpectedly.